Huck Finn Critical Analysis

Those who are ignorant of the past are doomed to repeat it; thus, it is imperative that Moorestown Friends School continue to teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Huck Finn) in order to provide a historical narrative that students would not normally be exposed to in an ordinary history nor English class. Huck Finn’s narrative of an adventuring young boy helps connect to a highschool audience, all the while satirizing the various key aspects of southern society. Although Mark Twain utilizes a range of criticism throughout the novel, there is a strong focus on the societal dilemmas faced due simply to race. It is through this use of satire that Twain shines a light on the negative impacts of a slave-holding society and leaves a mark …show more content…
Writer Jocelyn Chadwick, in her article: “Why Huck Finn Belongs in the Classroom,” succinctly summarizes the result of Twain’s use of such dilemmas by remarking that “Twain brings into schools what all of us in this country desperately need, yet fear, most: discussions-frank discussions-about race,” (2). Chadwick’s comments address Twain’s argument at its root: that what is right with regards to race is not always black and white, and that there is a grey area that should be discussed for, at minimum, the purpose of educating readers on such issues of the time. In addition, Chadwick remarks that “all of us in this country” should be party to such discussions, not just students; change is much more inclined to occur when pursued by an entire population, rather than a small subset, especially one that is not yet of age nor has the respect or political power of the rest of the nation. Huck Finn truly provides a means for discussion, as well as an insight to the personal life of Twain as he grew up in the south; as such, this book must be taught at Moorestown Friends, as well as at all schools across the nation, as not doing so would deprive students of the vital discussions and narratives it